Friday 1 March Clwyd Railway
Circle The Committee & Larry Davies. AGM followed
by the talk “60 years ago – Diamond days” After the formality is over,
we look forward to the talk by one of our favourite speakers.

Friday 5 April Clwyd Railway
Circle Michael Murphy 'Liverpool Overhead Railway' To
finish off the season, a highly recommended speaker known for his
light-hearted style of presentation. The talk will be followed by film
footage of the railway in its heyday.

57 307Lady Penelope has emerged from
Eastleigh works in the livery of its new operator. So far, it is
the only ex-Virgin Class 57/3 to retain its original nameplate. Well
done to DRS, although it does look 'at odds' with the serious message
carried on the body side. Maybe Lady P. now works for the BTP?
Photomontage at Crewe by Mark Riley.

Unusual departure from Llangollen - report by George Jones

When Class 8F 2-8-0 48518 which had been received from Barry
scrapyard, was dismantled at Llangollen a while back, the cab remained
in store as the remaining relic of this loco, unusual as being one of
the LNER built examples (Doncaster 1944).

On Friday 8 February the cab was retrieved from store and loaded up to
be taken back to Barry where it is to be incorporated in an 8F rebuild
project. The cab is seen above being loaded up prior to departure. The
cabside lettering shows evidence of previous ambitions for rescue and
restoration which were not achieved and the engine became part of the
remaining 'Barry Ten', a collection of locomotives that were removed
from Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry in 1990 when owner Dai Woodham
retired; basically, they were the only ones which were left unsold
after many others had been saved by preservationists.

Note by Charlie Hulme: the
lettering on the cab side reminds us of the steam centre established by
Peak Rail on the old Midland Railway station site at Buxton in the
1970s, and sadly closed again in the late 1980s when the society
decided to concentrate on the Matlock - Rowsley line. (Possibly it was
only the cab side that the Buxton people hoped to use.) An 8F
from Barry, 48624, was taken to Buxton in the 1981 to be restored. It
was moved to the new site when Buxton closed, and after many years of
work was returned to steam in 2009; currently it works on the Great
Central
Railway, wearing an incongruous maroon livery.

Speaking of Peak Rail Buxton, someone has put on YouTube a half-hour BBC 'open
access' programme made by the volunteers there in 1985, which is
very well worth watching. Little did they know that all their hard work
was to come to nothing, even after a new bridge span had been installed
with a grant from the Greater Manchester Council. A bottling plant for
Buxton Mineral Water was built over much of the site, although leaving
the platform and space for a possible small station. Recently the
bottling has been re-located to a new site outside the town; Tesco had
their corporate eyes on the site, but their plan seems to have been
blocked.

Test train ... in testing weather

An Ultrasonic Test Train powered by 37
423
Spirit of the Lakes
covered our area from 4 - 6 February, and our hardy contributors went
out to photograph it despite the wintry weather. Above, on 4 February, Martin Evans captured 37 423 on an
Ironbridge Power Station via Shrewsbury to Chester then back to
Shrewsbury track recording train at Rhosymedre (near Ruabon) taken just
as hail was falling.

Coach 72630 (Tim Rogers). This
vehicle, which is usually seen in such trains to provide additional
brake force for the short train, is numbered in the electric multiple
unit series; originally Mk2F loco-hauled coach 6094 it was one of the
coaches converted in 1983-4 to run with Class 73 locos in the Gatwick
Express 'Class 488' sets. These were replaced in the 2000s by
newly-built EMU sets.

999606 is an Ultrasonic test coach which uses high-frequency sound
waves to detect flaws in the rails. Note the unusual bogies: before
conversion it was 62356, the Motor Brake Standard vehicle from Southern
Region 4-CIG unit 1850. The nearest bogie in the picture carries extra
fittings for the ultrasonic equipment.

Heswall (Andrew Vinten)

The train stabled in Bidston siding, which was re-laid some years ago.
The siding stands on part of the formation which once went to Seacombe
Junction from Bidston (Andrew Vinten).

Pouring rain at Buckley station as 3Q04 heads for Wrexham at 15:42. 37
423 is pushing. (Bob Greenhalgh).

Two pictures by Jack Bowley
taken at Llandudno Junction on the evening of 6 February of 3Q04 Crewe
- Crewe via Blaenau Ffestiniog test train reversing on the way back to
Crewe. 9714 is the driving trailer that brought it in...

... and 37423 leading for Crewe.

Past Times at Rockcliffe Hall - with John Hobbs

The area around Rockcliffe Hall Signal Box, near Connahs Quay, has
changed considerably since these pictures were taken in 1964; having
disappeared under the approach roads to the Flintshire Bridge, the
current box is some sort of portable cabin in a new location and is
soon to be abolished, the coal-fired power station is also a thing of
the past as are is the rolling stock and locomotives among other
things. Above: LMS Class 5 4-6-0 45493
is going well as it passes Rockcliffe Hall with the 12 noon Manchester
(Exchange) to Holyhead also conveying a Buffet Car on 28 April 1964.
The Power Station forms a nice backdrop and seemed such a permanent
structure at the time.

The view in the opposite direction is somewhat featureless as LMS class
5 4-6-0 44770 heads past the
Box on the up line with the 12.10pm Bangor to Manchester(Exchange).
Pylons and a substation are in the background where now embankments and
a new power station feature; all this on 29 April 1964.

Better traction for the 12 noon Manchester (Exchange)to Holyhead with 46148 The Manchester Regiment on 30 April
1964, going well and on time, but watch out for tomorrow ...

LMS "Crab" 6P5F 2-6-0 42856,
at full stretch running late and rolling all over the place as she
passed, probably a substitute for a failure, but efforts to regain time
were obviously in mind as she passes with the same train on 1 May 1964.
The milepost, up home signal and ballast store all add to the scene
while the Central Electricity Generating Board's shunting loco lurks by
the signalbox.

1 May again, and today 44712 is in charge of the 12.10 pm from Bangor;
a rake of empty wagons which have arrived from the Power Station for
despatch to Mold Junction form the backdrop.

Cuidad de Cadiz - continued

As reported last week, the Ciudad de
Cadiz, one of the ships which carry Airbus 380 airliner wings,
manufactured at Hawarden, from Mostyn to France, ran aground at 13:45
on Wednesday 30 January in gusty conditions on the Dee Estuary whilst
she was waiting to dock at Mostyn. Dave
Sallery's picture above gives a good idea of the plight of the
vessel.

8 February saw sister ship Ville de
Bordeaux arrive at Mostyn to collect the winds which
should have been taken by the Cuidad
de Cadiz (Dave Sallery).

The Ville de Bordeaux in
position for loading (Dave Sallery).

The next day, the Cuidad de Cadiz was finally freed and sailed for
Holyhead, arriving at 07:50 on Sunday 10 February (picture above by M.Lloyd Davies.) It will now
undergo extensive underwater structural surveys to ensure it sustained
no damage during the 11-day incident.

RCTS News - by Richard Neale

The Railway Correspondence and Travel Society meets again at the Town
Crier opposite Chester railway station on Monday 18th February at 7.30
p.m. Duncan Law, Senior Programme Development Manager, Network Rail
will talk on the Northern Hub - in effect outlining the plans for the
railway network in North West England. Visitors are more than welcome
to attend this meeting but hopefully they would each contribute a
£2 voluntary donation. Such donations enable the Society to
continue its regularity of such meetings. Further inquiries about this
meeting can be made by telephoning 0151 - 608 4296.

As our January meeting was postponed, it should have been the Branch
AGM, it will now be necessary for a brief business meeting to be
conducted following the end of Duncan Law's talk.

More from MOSI

While basking in the glory of having our video mentioned in RAIL
magazine, let's take another look at the Manchester Museum of Science and
Industry where 47 500,
damaged in the derailment at Ordsall Lane, has spent another week
waiting to be taken away to face an uncertain future. A visit by Vince Chadwick (who as a volunteer
on the Museum railway is authorise to be in non-public areas) 8
February revealed that the loco had been shunted from its former
easily-viewed position to a point adjacent to the Network Rail gate, to
make room for some shunting operations.

A view of the other side of the loco from that previously shown here
shows that the fire damage is greater. Note how the burning off of the
paint has revealed the position of the former nameplate.

The location of the piping under the body seems to make it vulnerable
to contact with the bogie in a derailment. Departure of 47 500 from the
museum is expected imminently.

Other news is that the saddle-tank Agecroft
No.
1 which formerly shunted at Agecroft Power Station was
taken away by road on 8 February for a visit to the Ribble Steam
Railway. Note the replica Liverpool and Manchester coaches (built on BR
wagon underframes) being used as 'reach wagons' for the loading
movement. Note: Steam train
rides using these vehicles will be running at weekends from 16
February to 31 March, 12:00 to 16:00. Fare is £2 for adults,
£1 for concessions. The museum also runs steam driving courses
using this loco: details on
the website. The Museum is full of interest, and easily reached by
the No.2 free Metroshuttle bus from Oxford Road station.

The Ribble Steam Railway
at Preston is well worth a visit; it has a very interesting museum, and
the running line is very well suited to photography, especially the
street-running section over the docks swing bridge. There is a Steam
Gala on 16-17 February featuring four locos in steam, and a
demonstration freight train. Wednesday 20 February is a 'Diesel Railbus
Day.'

Wrexham Police appeal

British Transport Police (BTP) officers investigating the theft of
railway equipment near Wrexham are appealing for witnesses to come
forward. Investigators are particularly keen to trace a dog owner who
was in the area around the time the offence took place on Tuesday, 29
January.

Investigating officer PC Kirk Smith said: “Between 8pm and 10pm, a
lineside storage unit near Gwersyllt rail station was broken into and
the thieves made off with railway equipment worth around £18,000.
'The suspects were disturbed when railway staff arrived at the unit
around 10pm, and subsequently made off across a field which backs on to
a housing estate between Bryn Alyn School and Top Road ... The irony is
that the stolen items are of no real value to anyone outside the
railway industry, yet the cost to replace them is extremely high. In
fact, the thieves will struggle to get any money at all, as dealers are
highly unlikely to accept them.'

PC Smith said officers were anxious to trace a man who was walking an
Alsatian dog around 10pm near the storage unit, which is situated
around half a mile north of Gwersyllt station, adjacent to Mold Road.
If you were in the area between 8pm and 10pm on Tuesday, 29 January, or
have any information that could assist police with their enquiries,
contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 quoting background
log B2/WQA of 05/02/2013. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously
on 0800 555 111.

Duke of Lancaster (non-)Developments

An article in the Daily Post
describes how Flintshire Council has rejected claims it has prevented
the Duke of Lancaster, the
old British Railways ferry that travellers see from the Coast line
trains, from being brought back into use because of a weight
restriction on a nearby railway bridge. The Duke of Lancaster Appreciation
Society (DOLAS), which has more than 1,000 members keen to
transform the abandoned cruise liner in Mostyn into a tourist
attraction, has accused Flintshire council of using the bridge’s
alleged 10 tonne restriction as a barrier to any potential development
because emergency services would not be able to access it.

In a report – entitled Llanerch y
mor Final Report – provided by the local authority to the group,
as well as parties interested in the development of the ship, it
states: 'The only options for providing a vehicular access to the area
north of the railway line is a new railway bridge or new road from the
west. The former could cost several millions (£5-7m).'

But DOLAS says the bridge, owned by Network Rail, can take vehicles
weighing up to 24 tonnes. In email correspondence with the group’s
public relations officer Ashley Gardner, a community relations manager
at Network Rail states: 'I can confirm that the bridge is able to carry
vehicles with a weight of up to 24 tonnes, however, this prescription
is based on usage guidelines that must be adhered to for safe passage.
With the interest of safety in mind, I should stress that it may not be
practical to rely on the usage of this bridge for emergency vehicles,
although there is no formal objection to them doing so. To explain, we
can not guarantee that the bridge will be maintained to a degree that
is safe for passage of emergency vehicles. In addition, the usage
guidelines for bridge 67a state that vehicles weighing between 10 and
24 tonnes must travel at a slow speed and remain central to the bridge.
As such, these guidelines may cause problems in an actual emergency
situation.'

Ashley says the ability of the bridge to cater for 24 tonne vehicles
'exposes the false claims of the council'. She added: 'The local
authority have claimed for over thirty years that the Glan y Don
railway bridge is not strong enough to carry fire engines which has had
a massive impact on the development of the funship site.'

A council spokesman responded: 'Flintshire County Council does not own
the bridge in question. It is the property of Network Rail, who state
that it has a weight restriction of 10 tons. Flintshire County Council
has never made any claims regarding the ability of the bridge to carry
fire engines or other large vehicles. Anyone wishing to develop the
site will need to establish appropriate means of access. This will
require them, among other things, to discuss with Network Rail what
level of use can safely be made of the bridge.'